Shipping-crate.



110.719,991. v 1 PATBNTED 119B. 9, 1903.

D. T. sHocKLIN 19,9. SGHWARTZ.

SHIPPING 9111119.

Hman-10N rILED JUNE 5, 1902.

No MODEL.

NITE STATES PATENT OFFICE."

DWIGHT T. SI-IOOKLIN AND GEORGE SCHWARTZ, OF CRIPPLECREEK,

COLORADO.

SHIPPING-CRATE.

SPECIFICATION formingoart of Letters Patent No, 719,891, dated February 3, 1903.

Application tiled June 5l 1902.

To all whom t may con/cern:

Be it known that we, DWIGHT T. SHOCKLIN and GEORGE SCHWARTZ,eitizens of the United States,residing at Oripplecreek, in the county of Teller and State of Colorado,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shipping-Crates; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in crates, and particularly to a knockdown crate for shipping bananas; and the object is to provide a crate of this character which is light, simple, cheap, and durable and is formed of sections which may be conveniently extended and collapsed and locked against displacement in either position.

With this and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a shipping-crate embodying our invention, showing the crate extended; and Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing the crate collapsed.

The crate comprises a plurality of sections arranged to slide one within the other and is shown in the present instance as being composed of three sections (denoted,respectively, by the numerals l, 2, and 3) which may be of true cylindrical form or of any other appro ved form suitable for the purpose. The base-section 1 is constructed of upper and lower rings or bands 4 and 5 and interconnecting slats t', which latter are fixed to said rings and provided with longitudinal Vslots 7, terminating in lateral end offsets 3. `Sliding in these slots are headed pins or studs 9, carried by the lower ends of slats 10, which `are iixed at their upper ends to a ring or band 11 and provided with like longitudinal slots 12, having lateral end osets 13, said slats 10 and band 11 forming the second or intermediate section 2. The third section 3 is composed of slats 14, carrying at their lower ends headed pins or studs l5, which slide in the Serial No. 110,371. (No model.)

slots l2 and secured at their upper ends to a ring or baud 16. The several rings or bands 5, 11, and 16 are of progressively-decreasing diameters, so that the sections are adapted to slide freely one within the other, thus forming an open crate, which is light, cheap, and durable and may be made of wood or metal, as desired.

In extending the crate for use the upper and intermediate sections are drawn out until the studs 9 of the section 2 and the studs 15 of the section 3 come in line with the lateral offsets at the upper ends of the slots 7 and 12, when said sections 2 and 3 are given a partial rotation to bring said studs into said osets, thus locking the sections in eX- tended position. In collapsing the crate the studs are released from the odsets by a reverse partital rotation of the sections 2 and 3 and said sections forced downward or inward until the studs are in line with the lateral oisets at the lower ends of said slots, when a partial rotation is again given the sections 2 and 3 to bring the studs into the offsets, thereby locking the sections in collapsed condition. In this condition the crate occupies less space and may be handled and shipped with greater convenience and at less cost.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, mode of operation, and advantages of the invention will be readily understood without requiring an extended eX- planation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and details of construction may be made within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A crate comprising a base-section composed of end bands and interconnecting slats, a central section composed of a topband and depending slats, the latter being slidably'connected at their free ends to the slats of the base-section, a top section composed of a top band and slats which are slidably connected to the slats of the central section, and means forming part of the sliding connections of the IOO the base and central sections and adapted to engage the osets to lock the sections in ex- I5 tended or collapsed condition, substantially as set forth. Y

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

DWIGHT T.A SHOCKLIN. GEORGE SCHWARTZ.

Witnesses:

JNO. E. RINKER, F. W. McCULLoH. 

